Oso Seingeda
by okteiviablake
Summary: Little moments of Lincoln and Octavia's life at the Rig. [post-Aftermath]
1. Chapter 1 - Kai's Birth

The sharp pain had awakened her in the middle of the night.

Octavia was full-term with their baby boy and there was no doubt in her mind, he was coming. At one point, she thought it might've been just Braxton-Hicks, like she'd read about in her books, but the contractions had continued, getting stronger and closer together.

There was no point in telling Lincoln about it yet, though. What would be the point? The contractions weren't too close together and her water hadn't broken yet. He would only worry and fuss helplessly over her like a mother hen – just like he had when Lily had been born. There was still time. When _the_ time came, she would tell him.

 _Let him sleep_ , she thought wryly. _God knows we'll barely get any rest in the months to come_.

So, she sat on the bed next to him as he slept peacefully, rubbing her belly and riding out the occasional contractions.

"Hey..." Lincoln mumbled as he stretched, a lazy smile on his lips.

She looked down at him and grinned. "Good morning."

He sat up to sit against the headboard beside her and leaned to kiss her waiting lips.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep," she lied skillfully. She rubbed her belly again. "This little nugget won't stop kicking."

Lincoln grinned and lowered himself to kiss her protruding stomach.

He got up from the bed and pulled on his jeans.

Octavia tilted her head as she checked him out. After years of being together, he still left her in awe. _Could this man be any hotter?_

They'd had a pretty active sex life for most of the pregnancy, but had slowed things down in the last few weeks.

She got up, as well, her long black nightgown falling down to her ankles.

After her morning routine of relieving her pressured bladder and washing her face, Octavia pulled her hair up in a bun and went to Lincoln's side.

He was still getting ready for the day.

Despite the warm August weather, he put on a t-shirt. Lincoln wore at least a pair of jeans at all times. They were mostly for Lily's benefit, since their little lady had the nasty habit of walking into their bedroom unannounced.

Speaking of which…

Lily pushed the door open and walked in like a zombie, still half-asleep, holding the ragdoll Octavia had made for her tightly in her small hand.

"Oh, look who's up and about," Lincoln greeted her. "Come here."

She held her arms up, silently asking to be picked up. Lincoln obliged her.

Octavia leaned to kiss Lily's head.

"Good morning, baby."

"Morning, Mama," her daughter mumbled, and then yawned hugely.

"Are you tired?" Lincoln asked.

Lily nodded.

He set Lily on his hip and rubbed her back gently as he carried her toward their bed. Lincoln set their daughter down on the furs.

Lincoln sighed. He was hesitant to leave Octavia alone. In such an advanced state of pregnancy, anything could happen. She could feel sick, or fall down, or go into labor.

"I don't want to go, but…"

"Shhh," Octavia cut him off.

These things took their time, and Lincoln had business to attend to. The Rig didn't run itself, after all. He was responsible for the lives on this Rig. He had a duty to them, to keep them safe and fed. The latter was accomplished mostly through trading with neighboring villages. Most villages weren't by the water, so fresh fish was very hard to come by.

Since the Rig was on water, fish was not in short supply for them, but they did need other things, things that the water couldn't give them. So, every week, they sent three representatives to nearby villages and traded the fresh fish they caught for grain, vegetables, cured meats, milk and other goods.

So, she decided to let him go. Octavia leaned up on her toes and kissed him.

"You should go. Be the leader they need," she argued. She shrugged. "I'm just gonna stay in bed all day, anyway."

Still, he was reluctant.

"Go. We'll be fine," Octavia insisted.

"I'll take care of Mama," Lily offered helpfully from the bed.

"See?" she told Lincoln with a smirk. "I'll be fine."

"Okay," he sighed. "You stay in bed and rest. I'll ask Shay to bring you something to eat."

She wouldn't be eating anytime soon, but she didn't tell him that.

With a final resigned sigh, he dropped a kiss on Lily's head and another one on Octavia's lips before he left.

After he had finally gone, Octavia turned to her daughter.

"Want me to braid your hair?"

Lily's eyes widened and she nodded enthusiastically. She loved it when Octavia braided her brown curls.

"Come on."

They sat down on edge of the bed, Lily in front of Octavia as she worked her fingers through her daughter's hair.

Octavia had to stop every so often to endure another contraction. She smiled. They were getting closer together. It was almost time. When she was done, Octavia stood up from the bed. Almost as soon as she did, she felt a wet gush between her legs. Her water had broken.

She gasped unintentionally, bending over slightly.

Lily stared at her mother in panic.

"Mama?"

She smiled reassuringly. "I'm okay. I swear," she promised. "Lily… I need you to do something very important. I need you to go find your daddy and tell him that it's time, that the baby's coming." Her daughter stared at her with wide eyes. "Tell him to get the midwife. Can you do that?"

Lily nodded emphatically.

"Good girl. Go."

Her daughter ran off to find Lincoln.

Octavia walked – more like waddled – over to the crib slowly. It was the same one they'd used for Lily, the one Lincoln had carved from scratch. He'd brought it back into their room a couple of weeks ago.

She ran hands though the wood lovingly.

Everything was already set up for his arrival.

In addition to the crib, Lincoln had also carved a rocking chair for her. She often sat on it, overlooking the sea. That's how she'd gotten the idea for their son's name. _Kai_.

Octavia waddled toward it and sat down with some trouble.

She breathed out a sigh as she rubbed her belly.

 _Here we go, baby._

* * *

Lincoln was talking to Darius, making arrangements for the next fish delivery, when he heard his daughter yelling, "Daaaddy!"

He turned around and saw Lily running toward him with a terrified expression. His heart pounded in his chest.

 _Had something happened? Was Octavia okay? Was it the baby?_

When she finally reached him, he kneeled down in front of her and held her by the arms.

"Lily! Lily, what is it?"

"Mama said to come find you. The baby's coming."

Lincoln tried not to panic. He knew he shouldn't have left her alone. Not when she'd been close to delivering…

He turned to Darius. "You know what to do."

The other man nodded dutifully and left for his next supply run.

Lincoln took Lily to where Shay was, preparing Octavia's breakfast, and quickly explained the situation and asked her to watch over his daughter.

Next, he went to get the midwife, a middle aged woman with graying hair, who promised to make all the necessary arrangements and arrive quickly to their room.

But Lincoln couldn't wait for her.

He needed to go to Octavia.

* * *

Lincoln entered their room and called out, "Octavia?"

"Here."

He followed her voice out into the balcony.

She was sitting back on the rocking chair, breathing heavily. He kneeled down next to the chair.

"How are you?"

Between the pain of the contractions and the pressure down low, she felt just _peachy_.

"I'm in labor, so I've been better…" she half-heartedly joked. "Where's Lily?"

"I left her with Shay."

She sighed heavily. "Good."

Lincoln rubbed her belly softly.

The fears that had plagued him during her pregnancy with Lily, though mostly gone, still hovered over his mind like a dark cloud. She knew he wouldn't totally relax until the baby was born and he was sure everything was okay.

"It's time, huh?"

Octavia smile through her grimace. "Yep." She leaned forward at the sudden sharp pain. " _Oh!_ "

"Contraction?" he asked, feeling helpless. He wished he could take her pain away. She nodded, speechless. When it was over, he assured, "It's gonna be okay. The midwife is on her way."

She sat for a little while longer on the chair after the episode, then she held her hands up to him. "Help me up?"

Lincoln took her hands and helped her up from the chair and onto their bed.

She laid down on the bed gently and ran her hands up and down her belly.

Then, she let out a groan.

"Another one?" Lincoln asked sympathetically.

She nodded through a grimace.

"That was really close." Realization came into his face. "How long have you been having contractions?"

"A while," she said a little sheepishly. Lincoln began to protest, but she cut him off, "There was nothing you could've done."

Shortly after, the midwife arrived with an apprentice, bringing along hot water, towels and a series of other instruments.

She examined Octavia's progression.

"You're very close," the midwife declared. "It won't be long before you can start pushing."

That took Octavia aback. "Really? I thought I had a little more time still."

"Second babies are usually faster," the other woman explained.

The midwife was right, of course.

Not too long after the examination, Octavia was pushing with all her might.

"Push!"

She pushed as hard as she could and fell back on the bed.

After a few more minutes of pushing, the midwife announced, "There's the head. Push!"

Octavia shook her head, exhausted beyond words.

Lincoln sat behind her and held her, placing a hand on her belly.

"Push, love."

She gathered her strength and _pushed_.

Then, they heard the baby's sharp cry.

Octavia leaned back against Lincoln and cried in relief.

The midwife held up the wailing newborn.

"It's a boy!"

The baby wiggled and shrieked, not too pleased to be yanked into the world.

She deposited the baby on Octavia's chest and the apprentice wiped the goo and blood off his little body.

Lincoln and Octavia gazed at their newborn baby in wonderment, with wide smiles on their faces.

He was so perfect. _Kai_.

Octavia took his tiny hand in hers.

"Hi, baby."

Lincoln carefully removed himself from behind and got up to cut the umbilical cord.

Then, he kissed Octavia's clammy forehead as she held the baby close to her and laughed with relief and pure joy.

* * *

Labor was, in one word, _messy_.

The midwife and her apprentice had left and, as soon as Kai had fed for the first time, she needed a bath and fresh clothes. Badly.

Luckily for her, the baby had fallen asleep almost immediately after he'd eaten. Lincoln had placed him on his crib.

Octavia stretched in the tub, letting the warm water calm her aching muscles.

While she relaxed after the ordeal of giving birth, Lincoln changed the bed's linens and furs.

Then, he checked on Kai. The baby was sound asleep.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I think he's milk drunk though."

Octavia grinned.

He went to her side. Picking up a nearby sponge, he began to wash her back.

"He's so amazing."

"Yeah. We do make beautiful babies, don't we?"

Lincoln nodded and leaned down to kiss her.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you, too."

Then, she groaned loudly at the aches in her body.

"What is it?"

"You're having the next one."

They laughed.

When the water had gone cold, Lincoln helped her out of the tub.

"You should go get Lily," she said. "I'm sure she's dying to meet her baby brother."

Lincoln went to get their daughter and something for them to eat while Octavia dressed.

When they returned, Octavia on the bed, holding Kai.

"Was he hungry again?" Lincoln wanted to know.

"No. He was only fussing a little. I just wanted to hold him," she admitted sheepishly.

She looked to Lily, who seemed a little stunned with everything that was happening.

"Hi, honey. Do you want to meet your baby brother?"

Lily nodded.

"Come here," Octavia said, patting the spot next to her on the bed.

The little girl did as she was told and sat next to her mother.

"This is Kai. He's finally here."

Lily's eyes shined brightly as she looked down at her baby brother.

"Hi, Kai. I'm Lily. I'm your big sister."

Lincoln set the two trays of food he was carrying on his side of the bed and joined them, sitting down next to Octavia. She eyed the contents of the plates hungrily. She hadn't eaten all day.

"That smells amazing. I'm seriously starving."

Lincoln held out his arms. "Give him to me."

She handed Kai to his father and munched down on the delicious food.

"Everybody's excited to meet him," he noted, grabbing some food for himself.

"They're gonna have to wait," Octavia teased. "I'm not ready to share him quite yet."

"Can I sleep here, Mama?" Lily asked suddenly. Octavia had a feeling her baby girl didn't want to part from her parents and much less from her new baby brother anytime soon.

"Yeah. But just for tonight, okay?"

"Okay," the little girl agreed, cuddling close to her mother.

They spent what was left of the day together, talking and eating and cuddling. All four of them together, their little family.

* * *

Later, when the sun had gone down, they huddled together to sleep.

Lily lay between her parents, already sound asleep. Today had been pretty eventful for a 4 year-old, becoming a big sister and all.

Lincoln was holding a sleeping Kai (once again, completely milk drunk) as Octavia gazed lovingly at him.

"I forgot how tiny they are," she whispered, holding his little hand.

They marveled over their baby boy.

"He's amazing. _You're_ amazing." He looked at her adoringly. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He leaned his forehead against hers and they kissed, slow and soft. When they parted, Octavia settled back down on the bed, spooning Lily and kissing her daughter's cheek, and Lincoln got up carefully to set their sleeping newborn on his crib.

Lincoln returned to the bed and nestled down close to his family, his heart.


	2. Chapter 2 - Lily's 5th Birthday

The sun shone brightly through the drapes when Octavia opened her eyes.

She felt Lincoln's arm snake around her waist, holding her close. She grinned.

"Morning."

"Good morning," he whispered.

Octavia turned to lay on her back and Lincoln leaned down to kiss her. The kiss deepened and he moved over her.

The hardness that pressed against her thighs startled her.

"Oh! And good morning to you, too," she giggled, looking down at his erection.

Lincoln laughed low in his throat.

They'd only had sex a couple of times since she'd given birth to Kai. But the desire was undoubtedly there.

Yearning with desire, Octavia pulled his mouth down to hers and kissed him hard. Then, she skillfully turned their positions so that she was on top, straddling him as they kissed and groped each other.

One of the things they'd learned in the past few year was that being a couple with small children did come with relatively high chances of getting interrupted during more… private times.

As was exhibited by their youngest at that moment.

They heard the soft whimper coming from the crib.

Lincoln and Octavia stopped, looked at the crib and listened further. Sometimes, Kai would whimper a little, asking for attention, but then go right back to sleep. So, they waited. But the baby continued.

Octavia looked down at Lincoln.

"He's not going back to sleep, is he?" she asked.

Lincoln shook his head sadly.

They groaned. Octavia collapsed back to her side of the bed.

"I'll get him," Lincoln offered.

"No, it's fine," she sighed, getting up from the bed. She'd recognized that cry. "I'm pretty sure he's hungry and, last time I checked, you don't have the required equipment."

Octavia walked toward the crib. Kai lay there with a deep frown on his face as he continued to whimper.

He was typically such a happy baby. Except when he was hungry… The baby's tiny whimper quickly developed into a wail.

"Okay, baby…" Octavia said, picking him up into her arms. "It's okay. I got you."

She bounced him gently as she carried the baby to the bed. After she'd changed him into a fresh diaper, she settled him down to her breast. The baby's mouth grabbed hold of her nipple and he stopped crying, sucking happily.

Octavia smiled. "There you go."

When Kai was finished, Lincoln held out his hands and offered, "Come on, I'll burp him. Let me do some of the work."

She knew that Lincoln felt kind of bad for not being able to help more when it came to feeding Kai. So, she handed the baby over to his father and covered herself up.

Lincoln gently rubbed and patted the baby's back.

Then, Lily burst into their room and made a bee line for them.

Today was her special day, and their little lady demanded attention.

"It's my birthday!" she exulted loudly.

"Is it, now?" Octavia laughed.

November was always a month of celebration for their family. They'd just celebrated Octavia's 23rd birthday a few days ago. And now, it was Lily's turn.

"Yep!"

"Well then, a very happy birthday to you, my sweet girl!"

Octavia dropped a kiss on her daughter's head and pulled into her arms. The little girl beamed.

"Happy Birthday, Lily," Lincoln said, still rubbing Kai's back in circular motions. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"I want to go to shore!" their daughter said without hesitation.

She'd lived her entire life in this Rig. She was curious about the outside world, a world she'd never seen before. It reminded Octavia about wanting to see the Ark when she was little. It was a bittersweet feeling.

"Is that a good idea?" Octavia asked Lincoln.

They knew, better than anyone, how dangerous the mainland could be. However, if they were to remain close to the shore, everything should be fine.

Lincoln pretended to consider. "I'm sure we can work something out."

Lily shrieked in excitement.

Finally, Kai burped.

"Oh! I'm pretty sure that was a yes from Kai," Lincoln said with a grin. He asked Lily, "How about we arrange a basket full of food and we make a day out of it?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, go to the kitchen and I'll be right there to help you," he instructed.

"Okay! I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too."

 _Yep, Lily was definitely Daddy's girl…_ Octavia thought in amusement as she watched their interaction.

Lincoln kissed Kai's head before returning him to Octavia and getting up from the bed.

"I better go help her."

"Our little baby…" she commented sadly. "I can't believe she's 5 already."

"Yeah. And before we know it, _this_ one will be 5," Lincoln answered, nodding toward their son, who was dozing off in his mother's arms.

Lincoln got ready, kissed her goodbye and left.

Since Kai was asleep again and Lily was with Lincoln, Octavia took the opportunity to get ready for the day and pack a few things herself.

She decided to pack a small bag for Kai with diapers, clothes and a couple of blankets. At three months of age, Kai was still solely breastfed, so food for him was a non-issue.

Octavia considered as she dressed. She figured, if they were going back to the mainland for the first time ever since they'd come to the Rig, she should be armed. Going through her old things, she found her long knife and placed it on her belt, at her side. There was no knowing who might eventually wander into the beach. She would be prepared to protect her family if anything happened.

Lincoln and Lily returned to the room. Lincoln carried the basket in one hand, a blanket over it.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah. You?"

He held up the basket. "We got everything."

"Okay. Lily, don't forget your boots."

Around the Rig, they were used to walking around barefoot most of the time. But on the outside world, things were quite different, especially on a shore full of stones.

"Okay, Mama."

Lily put on her shoes obediently and returned to her parent's side.

"Ready for our little adventure?" she asked their daughter.

"Yeah!"

* * *

Darius went ahead, to make sure nothing was amiss. Then, he lit the signal fire and sent for them.

Lily, clutching her ever present ragdoll, bounced in her seat the whole way to shore. She was so excited!

It was almost midday when they finally arrived.

When they docked, Lincoln exited the boat first.

He picked Lily up and set her down safely on the shore. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she took off running, exploring her surroundings.

"Don't go too far," Lincoln told her.

"Okay, Daddy."

Next, he helped Octavia out the boat carefully as she carried Kai snuggly against her chest on the body wrap.

He took the basket and Kai's bag and discussed with Darius safety matters and their return home. Darius would stay close, just in case and, as soon as they were ready to go back, all they had to do was light the signal fire and he would pick them up.

After Darius had left, they settled down beneath the shade of a tree.

Lily was fascinated by everything. Every plant, every flower, every bug… She took everything in. And so did her brother. The baby's attentive brown eyes looked everywhere with curious fascination.

It was the first time either of them were experiencing Nature in its full force.

Octavia still remembered the first time she'd seen trees and ferns and flowers... The Dropship door opened and the fresh air had come rushing in. She'd breathed in the scent of flowers and the clean air. Octavia hadn't believed how amazing it all was.

And now, her children got to experience it.

Maybe they would make this their family tradition…

Lily spent the next couple of hours exploring everything excitedly, Lincoln by her side, showing her every plant and telling her everything he knew about them.

Octavia and Kai watched them from the shade.

Soon enough, her baby boy began to complain again. He was in desperate need of a change.

After she'd changed him and fed him, Octavia put him down for a nap for his much needed nap, setting the baby down gently on one of the blanket she'd brought. Thankfully, Kai slept through most of the night by this point. But he still needed to nap.

Lincoln and Lily returned. Lincoln sat next to Kai, while Lily still jumped excitedly up and down.

"Come explore with me, Mama!" Lily begged. "Come on."

She looked to Lincoln. "Watch him for a few minutes? I just changed and fed him, so he should be sound asleep for the next hour or two."

"Of course. I would love to."

She and Lily picked and collected flowers while Lincoln watched the Kai.

Octavia honestly hadn't realized how much she'd missed flowers and plants until this moment. She would put a bouquet of flowers in their room, she decided. Maybe some lilies… She smiled at the thought of hers and Lincoln's flower.

"Can you braid my hair and put the little flowers in, Mama?" Lily asked. "Please?"

"Sure, baby. Anything for my birthday girl."

Lily grinned widely, showing her dimples. She tackled Octavia in a surprise hug.

"I love you, Mama."

Octavia smiled and tried to fight back the tears of joy. "I love you, too, baby. Now come on, let's go braid that beautiful hair and get something to eat."

They sat with their family.

Kai was still, thankfully, asleep, leaving her time to focus on Lily's hair. Octavia made two French braids on either side of her head. She then decorated the brown curls of hair with some of the flowers they'd picked, per Lily's request.

When she was done, they all dug in on the delicious food Lincoln had packed.

Meanwhile, Kai had finally woken up, demanding to be held and soothed. The latter need being fulfilled, he began to slowly drift off again.

And so was his sister…

With all the excitement and the running around, Lily had gotten so exhausted she practically passed out in Lincoln's arms after their late lunch. He held Lily and Octavia held Kai as both of their children napped peacefully, sprawled on their chests.

"Look at them," Lincoln whispered in awe.

"Our little babies…"

Octavia covered Lily and Lincoln with one the blankets she'd brought. Lincoln tucked the material safely around their daughter and held her close as she slept.

The kids rested for a couple of hours. But, sadly, when Lily woke, the time for exploring for over. It was starting to get dark and it was time to go home.

"The sun's going down," Lincoln announced. "We should go back."

Lily moaned and pouted.

"I know, honey. But we'll come back, I promise."

They packed up their things and watched the sunset as the signal fire burned, letting Darius know they were ready to go home.

When their ride home arrived, Darius docked and jumped out of the boat.

"Lily! You look like a fairy princess," he complimented with a wide grin.

Lily beamed.

They got in and returned home, happy and relaxed.

* * *

Back at the Rig, Octavia had put the flowers she'd picked on a clay vase and placed it on a table in their room. The scent made her smile.

Then, it was bedtime for Kai, which meant time for his night routine, which consisted of bathing, massaging, feeding and rocking. This process always helped him sleep better, which meant she and Lincoln got to sleep better.

After bathing him, Octavia warmed her hands by the fire and rubbed Kai's belly and limbs with coconut oil while the baby giggled and wiggled around.

"Did you have fun today, baby?" she asked Lily.

Their little birthday girl was on their bed, all cuddled up next to Daddy and ready to sleep. She was very tired, but had absolutely refused to undo her fairy braids. Because it was still her birthday and it was something she loved, they had agreed to let her sleep in their room that night. Octavia wasn't sure, however, that Lily would be very happy when Kai woke everyone up in the middle of the night.

"Yeah," she replied.

Then, Lily yawned loudly.

Lincoln got one of the books that Abby had sent and had barely begun to read her a bedtime story and Lily was out like a light.

Octavia finished dressing Kai and fed him. After burping him, she handed him over to Lincoln. The final part of their nightly routine was Lincoln's favorite. He would sit on the rocking chair with Kai and rock him until he fell asleep.

"I think I'll join the birthday girl and turn in," Octavia whispered. "Having fun is exhausting."

"I'll be right there. Let me just put this little bug to sleep…"

Lincoln kissed Kai's head and took him to the rocking chair.

Octavia lay down gently next to Lily, so as not to disturb her sleep. She held her sleeping daughter's, kissed her cheek and whispered, "Happy birthday, Lily."


End file.
